Fence.



No. 653,36l. Patented July |o,'|9oo.

c. G. oa'nEN.

F E N C E.

(Application led Oct. 1 1, 1899.)

(No Model.)

.I I :52 Sil Y wifgesszs UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

CHARLES G. OGDENpOF MILAN, TENNESSEE.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f LetterS Patent N0. 653,361, dated. July 10, 1900.

Application filed October 1l, 1899. Serial No. 733,277. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. OGDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milan, in the county of Gibson and State of Tennessee, have invented a -new and useful Fence, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fences.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wooden fences and to increase their strength, durability, and efficiency and to arrange the connecting-wires so that in event of any sagging of the fence the parts will be tightened instead of loosened.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fence constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the top of the fence,.illus trating, the arrangement of one of the top bands and the combined lever and brace.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates longitudinal fence-rails having their adjacent ends supported one upon another and arranged between nvertical bars or cleats 2, which are secured to the-bottom rails by a wire tie 3, which is placed on the rails while the bars or cleats are in a horizontal position, whereby whenv` the same are swung upward to a vertical position the wireV tie will be stretched and drawn tightly around. the parts. The top rails or riderse are supported by oppositely-inclined transverselydisposed crotched braces 5, crossed near their upper ends at the top of the horizontal rails 1, which form the body of the fence-panels, and connected at the point of crossing by a wire tie 6. ,4

In order to prevent the oppositely-inclined braces 5 from spreading, they are connected at opposite sides of the fence at points below l[he uppermost rails 1 by loops 7, with an intermediate transverse tie 8 disposed horizontally between the adjacent longitudinal rails 1 and passing around the vertical bars or cleats 2, whereby the latter are prevented from spreading, so that there is no liability of the ends of the rails becoming displaced. The tie 8 is constructed of wire, and the loops 7, which are also constructed of wire, are linked into the tie at the outer faces of the vertical bars or cleats 2. By this construction4 the longitudinal rails are firmly secured to the vertical bars or cleats, which entirely support the weight of the rails.

The upper ends of the oppositely-inclined braces are connected by a top wire or band 9, disposed transversely of the top of the fence and extending around the upper ends of the inclined braces 5 and around the upper terminals of the vertical bars or cleats, which I are located adjacent to the inclined braces. The side 10 of the top wire or band is arranged horizontally at the upper face of the upper one of the adjacent top rails or riders, and the other side 11 is coiled around one of the vertical bars or cleats at 12 and is extended upward at a slight inclination to the opposite bar or cleat 2. The sides 10 and l1 are engaged at one side of the fence between the vertical bar or cleat and the adjacent upper end of the lateral brace by a lever 13, which has its upper end introduced between the sides of the wire tie or band 9, whereby the same will be tightened to the desired tenvsion'loy swinging the outer or lower portion of the lever downward. By arranging the top band or Vwire as before described and connecting the'same with the cleat or bar 2, as at 12, and with the lever 13 any sagging or dropping of the longitudinal rails 1 and the vertical bars or cleats 2 will operate to increase the tension of the said top band or Wire. The lever 13, which partially embeds the ends of the loop or band 9 in the outer edges of the inclined braces 5, ettectually prevents the said loop or band from slipping downward on the inclined braces, and the lower ends of the levers are secured by wire ties 14, which pass around the adjacent rails.

It will be seen that the fence, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive'in construction, possesses great strength and durability, that the longitudinal rails are firmly bound to the vertical bars or cleats, and that the upper tie or band, which connects the upper ends of the lateral braces and the verti- IOO cal bars or cleats, is arranged in such a manner that any sagging or dropping of the rails and the vertical bars or cleats will operate to tighten the said tie or band.

What is claimed is- A fence comprising the vertical bars arranged in pairs and spaced apart, the horizontal rails l having their ends arranged between the vertical bars, the inclined lateral braces crossed near their upper ends, above the rails 1 to form a crotch, the top rails supported within the crotch, the top tie composed of sides 10 and 11 and extending across the top of the fence and passing around the inclined braces and embedded in their outer faces and interlocked therewith and coiled around one of the vertical bars, the inclined lever secured at its lower end to the fen ce and having its upper end engaging the top tie, the greater portion of the' top tie lying in a horizontal plane,and the side 1l being slightly inclined between the vertical bars whereby any sagging of the fence will operate to bow the intermediate portion of the top tie downward, and thereby tighten it and bind the top of the fence more closely together, and means for connecting the inclined braces with the vertical bars, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES G. OGDEN.

Titnessesz ROBT. E. CRAMP, A. PERRY HAHN. 

